Do Joe The Plumber And Real Americans Drop $75,000 On An Afternoon At Nieman Marcus? Can We Just Stop The Pretense?

"Just make sure people understand that we know what Joe the Plumber was talking about when he was confronting Barack Obama and saying, 'Wait a minute, aren't you going to take my money, take my earnings and give it to somebody else who maybe hadn't worked as hard as I have worked?' What about this reward for strong work ethic, isn't that what capitalism is all about? Isn't that what the American economy should be based upon? And so when I mention Joe the Plumber, know that that's why I do mention it. Because we understand what his concerns were as he spoke to Barack Obama there in that rope line," she added. "We will be working for Joe the Plumber and working for the small business owners and those who wish to own business, those who have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to grow business and create jobs, hire more people and take care of their families."

"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation."

Gov. Sarah Palin in Greenesboro, NC

"Sarah Palin — she’s a lady that can get ‘er done. She’s been in Alaska. She got ‘er did! Folks, there’s a real America, and liberals hate real Americans that work, and accomplish, and achieve, and believe in God. That’s a great comparison."

Republican Congressman Robin Hayes warming up the crowd for Senator John McCain

UPDATE -- Do Real American Men Spend $8,000 A Month Having Their Makeup Done? I Don't Even Know Gay Men Or Drag Queens Who Spend That Much On Makeup.

From the Washington Post:

"Tifanie White, who reportedly has done makeup for the shows "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol," was paid a total of $8,672.55 in September by the McCain-Palin campaign [to do Senator McCain's makeup], according to the campaign's latest monthly financial report filed this week with the Federal Election Commission. She was paid $5,583.43 the previous month, records show."

Who the hell are these people wearing their tinfoil hats and talking about "real Americans" and "socialism"?

So I am, as a gay man who identifies as an atheist and as a liberal or a progressive or even a revolutionary, when the Dow dips below 9,000, not part of real America. Sarah Palin apparently is a real American because she loves "real Americans that work, and accomplish, and achieve, and believe in God." But apparently Governor Palin is not above accepting a little free stuff, like a $150,000 shopping spree at Niemans and Saks and the like. Somehow, I doubt that the "real Americans" that Governor Palin purports to champion have that opportunity handed to them, much less have someone to do their makeup at $8 grand a month. And I am supposed to conclude that Senator Obama is "too different," "too exotic," "too other" --- Come'on, don't be coy, just say it out loud, John and Sarah: "too black" --- to be President. Hell, Palin's spending and McCain's makeup make them way more "other" to me than Obama's race and funny name.

Yeah, the hypocrisy smells to high heaven, but just to cut through all of that, let's just be honest, Governor Palin is not just like hard working Americans who have seen their savings looted by folks who shop at Niemans and Saks, nor is her buddy John McCain, he of the married fortune and the seven houses and the regular makeup. No matter how much they want to keep telling us they understand what is facing working people and how they understand how the poor middle class working stiffs making $250,000 a year feel when that "socialist" Obama says he is gonna take their money, John and Sarah don't have a clue.

Let's stop all the pretense and nonsense and have an election and live with the result . . . . . .